Tweens, teens and needing mom

You know how mountain climbers sometimes experience “false summit” syndrome? Exhausted, thirsty, ready to declare victory, they think they have reached the top, only to have the real summit come into view.

In the midst of the nation’s renewed debate over whether working mothers can or can’t have it all — ignited by a recent Atlantic magazine article — one thing has become clear: Moms get faked out by false summits of their own. Many think the hard work of juggling child care and work will ease once their children get older, only to be surprised by a second peak when the little darlings hit age 10.